Iron



United States Patent Cfiice 2,864,930 Patented Dec. 16, 1958 IRON Vinson H. Ulke, Max G. Herron, and Robert Gail Herron, Oakland, Calif.

Application October 18, 1954, Serial No. 462,987

1 Claim. (Cl. 219-21) The present invention relates to an improved device for ironing clothing or the like and more particularly to an improved iron adapted for ironing intricate or delicately formed cloth such as ruffles or puffed sleeves.

Conventional irons are not well suited for many ironing operations where multitudinous folds of material or other intricacies prevent free play of the iron over smooth surfaces. Even miniature irons commonly include as a major portion thereof a flat surface for smoothing'flat material so that they are not readily adapted for use upon pieces having no extended flat expanse. The iron of the present invention provides curved ironing surfaces so as to easily engage all of the fabric to beironed whether it be gathered or otherwise sewn other than flat. Further, the puff iron of the present invention is adapted for rigid mounting whereby fabrics are ironed by pressing same thereupon to thereby overcome the difficulty of ironing other than flat material between two flat surfaces.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an iron having mounting means and adapted to have material pressed thereon for ironing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an iron having a head curved in all dimensions whereby gathered, puffed or otherwise formed materials are readily accommodated thereon for ironing.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken in the median plane of the iron.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken at 2-2 of Figure 1.

Considering now the structural details of the present invention and referring to the drawings there will be seen to be provided an elongated hollow tube 11 threaded into a plate 12 at the bottom of the tube. The plate 12 is expanded or otherwise formed to provide an upstanding boss into which the tube 11 is threaded and an electrical junction box 13 is secured within this boss above the lower level of the plate 12. Additionally the plate 12 is formed into a C shape in side elevation, as shown in Figure l, and a set screw 14 is threaded through the lower horizontal portion thereof extending vertically upward toward the tube 11 so as to form a clamp whereby the iron is mountable upon any suitable member, such as an ironing board.

Atop the tube 11 there is provided a head 16 having an oval or egg shape and formed of a rigid material having the property of good heat conductivity. This head 16 is adapted for heating and subsequent smoothing of fabrics by the pressing of same thereon preferably in a moistened state, although the moistening may be accomplished at the time of ironing by directing jets of steam upon the material as from the head 16. Heating of the head 16 is accomplished from the inside thereof and the head is made divisible by the provision of a main head portion 17 and an end cap 18 fitting tightly together in intimate relation to the main head portion and closing the central hollow portion of the head. Electrical heating of the head is produced by a plurality of turns of resistance wire 19 wound about a hollow core 21 that is in turn snugly fit within the main head portion 17 and held therein by the end cap 18 with a gasket 22 sealing the end cap connection.

The aforementioned heating means within the head 16 is energized by a pair of electrical leads 23 connected one to each end of the resistance wire 19 and extending axially through the tube 11 to the junction box 13 at the base thereof. External energization is provided by a cable, cord, or the like 24 adapted for connection to suitable external power supply means, not shown, such as a convenient volt alternating current wall receptacle, and passing through the base plate 12 within an insulator 26 in the boss thereof into the junction box 13. Temperature control of the head 16 is provided by heat control means 27 within the junction box 13 and having an external control screw 28 atop the boss of the base plate 12. Various different heat control means may be employed, as for example a controllable thermostat disposed to connect and disconnect the energizing leads of cable 24 with the internal wires 23 at predetermined temperatures or rheostat means controllably limiting current flow to the wires 23. An insulated handle or holding means 29 in the form of a hollow cylinder with expanded ends is mounted upon the tube 11 for ready gripping of same and this holder may conveniently be formed of porcelain or other heat resistant material.

In operation the puff iron of the present invention is energized by connection of the cable 24 to a suitable source of electric power such as a conventional 115 volt wall receptacle. Current thus flows through the conductors of cable 24 and wires 23 to the heating element in the head 16 whereat current flowing through the resistance wire 19 produces heat that radiates to the inner head surface and is transmitted therethrough because of the good heat conductivity of the head material. The temperature of the head is set by the control means 27 so that a steady desired head temperature is maintained. Use of the iron to apply heat to material or the like may include the manual application of the head 16 to the material as by holding same by the handle 29 and pressing the head 16 against the material to be ironed or heated. Alternatively, the entire unit is advantageously mounted upon a rigid member by sliding the base plate 12 over such member and tightening the set screw 14 to clamp the iron in fixed position. Material to be ironed or heated is then pressed upon the head 16 and moved thereover in whatever manner may be required to contact all desired portions of the material with the heated head. The ovate shape of the head 16 provides head surfaces and contours which readily contact all material configurations so that a very rapid and thorough ironing operation is effected. It will be appreciated that the improved iron of the present invention may also be employed in the application of heat for purposes other than ironing, as for example in the heat sealing of containers.

What is claimed is:

An improved iron comprising a hollow symmetrical ovate head having a removable end plug press fit into said head and formed of a material of substantial thickness and having good heat conductivity, a single heating coil disposed within said head in axial alignment with the longitudinal axis of said head and in insulated relation thereto, means for securing said coil within said head for removal upon withdrawal of said removable end, said means comprising portions of said head and plug respectively engaging opposed .end portions of said coil for positioning and supporting said coil within said head, said coil having a plurality of turns of wire wound about the same for substantially the entire length thereof, a rigid elongated tube threadly atfixed to said head substantially medially of the ends thereof and extending therefrom with electrical leads therethrough connected to said heating coil, an insulated covering over at least a portion of said tube, a base plate having clamping means for mounting thereof and secured to the opposite end of said tube from said head, and an electrical junction box mounted on said base plate in engagement with said electrical leads fonconnecting same to an external power source and including electric current control means for controlling the temperature of said head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

